At the 47th WorldSkills Competition, held in Lyon, France, in September, 22-year-old Zhao Zhijun claimed the championship in the Electrical Installations event. Zhao was not only the third consecutive champion in this event to come from China, but also the second consecutive champion produced by Yancheng Technician College (YTC) in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. Organized every two years, the international WorldSkills Competition highlights the value of vocational skills and education around the world.
Zhao Zhijun (center), receives the gold medal in the Electrical Installations event at the 47th WorldSkills Competition, in Lyon, France, in September (COURTESY PHOTO)
Craftsman’s spirit
In 2017, Zhao did not perform well in the senior high school entrance exam. His score was only barely sufficient for entry into a regular high school and he instead chose a path that is becoming increasingly open to students his age. “I preferred to go to a technical school and acquire a skill,” he told Beijing Review. With this in mind, he enrolled in YTC. As he had had a penchant for dismantling appliances since childhood, he chose to major in electrical installations, which is the design, installation and maintenance of electrical systems in industrial, commercial and residential projects.
“As soon as I walked onto the campus, I saw the countdown board for the 44th WorldSkills Competition—it was during the period for senior students to prepare for the competition. It was then that my curiosity about the competition was piqued,” Zhao recalled.
Shortly after, YTC student Dong Hui claimed the silver medal in the Electrical Installations event of that competition, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The image of the award-winning contestant’s return to the college touched Zhao’s heart. “I also wanted to win honor for myself, the school and even the country,” he told Beijing Review. In 2023, he was selected for the training class that prepares students for the competition by providing more structured and professional training.
During the training period in 2024, Zhao led a highly regimented life—getting up around 6:30 a.m., engaging in physical exercise for an hour, and then, after breakfast, studying English for one hour. Each day, he attended mechanical and electronic engineering courses at the school as scheduled, while during after-school time and holidays he learned professional skills related to electrical installations, including equipment installation, circuit design, equipment wiring and programming. In evenings, he underwent intensive training on his weak points until late at night.
“The competition duration of electrical installations varies from over 10 to over 20 hours. For example, my competition lasted 22 hours, which was very demanding in terms of physical fitness. Plus, because it is an international event, the programming language is all English, so learning the language is also essential,” Zhao explained.
Despite all the strenuous efforts he has made, he concedes that he didn’t win the world championship single-handedly —the school has assembled a specialized coaching team for the competitors, comprising teachers from the school, a senior electrical expert from ABB Group, a Swedish-Swiss multinational electrical engineering corporation, and a former champion named Yu Shouan, who studied at the school for three and a half years and stayed on as a teacher after winning the 46th WorldSkills Competition.
As a senior expert at ABB Group, Wang Dajiang is dedicated to the solution of electrical systems for intelligent buildings in China. Invited by the school, Wang works with the teachers to train the students and to provide technical support and professional guidance for the competition.
“The electrical industry today is more digital and intelligent than it was five years ago. By incorporating ABB’s digital electrical switch gear and solutions into teaching, training, and competitions, students can gain valuable insights into the pivotal role that comprehensive electrification plays in China’s green and low-carbon energy transition,” said Wang.
Going for the gold
Zhang Bing, President of YTC, made no secret of his aspirations for students to win gold. “The gold medal is undoubtedly an honor for us and lifts the reputation of our school. At the same time, it is also an encouragement for the students in the school,” he told Beijing Review.
As one of the first vocational schools to represent China at the WorldSkills Competition, the school hopes to strengthen everyday teaching through participation in the competition. “Participating in this international competition enables our school to be at the frontier of vocational education and align our curriculums, skills training and equipment configurations with international standards, thereby cultivating the most advanced technical talents,” Zhang said.
“And most importantly, we need the gold medal to draw a higher level of attention to technical education, and obtain broader recognition of its importance in society,” he added.
According to the school, technical education constitutes an important part of vocational education, yet there are still misunderstandings about it in society. For instance, many people tend to believe that technical education is merely skill training. However, in terms of educational content, the school attaches equal importance to systematic theoretical knowledge, as well as moral and cultural education.
In 2016, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security implemented a system that allows graduates of technical schools to sit for the postgraduate entrance examination—on par with undergraduate students. They are also qualified to take the civil service examination, Zhang said.
While cultivating champions is certainly a noteworthy achievement, the primary focus of YTC remains on preparing students for employment. Over the course of its 60-year history, the school has established collaborative relationships with many enterprises and even features training programs tailored to their needs.
From 2013 to 2016, four graduates of CNC machining, a highly precise manufacturing process that involves the use of computer-controlled machines to create parts from various materials, were even employed by a research institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and given doctoral treatment. YTC also partners with universities to equip university students with practical skills to increase their employability. It also offers dedicated skills training courses customized for college students and graduates.
“The school’s statistics show that the employment rate for its graduating class of 2024 is 92 percent. In the future, we will continue to expand students’ employment options, allowing them to find their ideal jobs,” Zhang added. –The Daily Mail-Beijing Review news exchange item
